"Play… Date?"
"Not entirely sure," Mei jie's tone raised in uncertainty, but that didn't refrain her from squealing. "Rumor has it that our Kingdom wants to make allies with the South Wu Kingdom!"
"Where did you hear that from?" Bai Shuyin questioned. Her brows furrowed slightly in contemplation. Why with the South Wu Kingdom? Wasn't it supposed to be the East Wang Kingdom?
"Here and there," Mei jie shrugged, pulling her robes away before they were stepped over by some customers.
"And… Why this humble place?" This place wasn't small but it wasn't exactly that spacious either. Besides, why in a place like this? It wasn't exactly a safe place for kids to have a playdate and make an agreement.
"Who knows? Maybe they want to keep it discreet?" Her eyes were wide and she couldn't stop herself from shaking in excitement like this was some juicy gossip. "Anyway, here. Table 15, thanks!"
With that, she left in a hurry, her robes flying behind her.
Bai Shuyin could only sigh. Her mind was still spinning from the information she just acquired. Mei jie said those guests would be coming tomorrow. Wasn't that a bit too early? She hadn't mentally prepared herself to meet the original female lead! That unworthy rice bucket!
Should… should she give Li Fantong a chance? Let them meet and see what happened? And allow Wang Heiyue to judge the original female lead himself how unappealing she was, how manipulative she was and what a scumbag she was— okay, she really should refrain from those thoughts.
As much as she opposed the idea of having Li Fantong interact with Wang Heiyue, Bai Shuyin felt like she herself had to see the female lead herself.
Bai Shuyin merely read her character based on how the book described her, nevertheless if she acted differently? What if Li Fantong wasn't like that at all?
The story itself was already out of line, taking a hundred and eighty turns from the original one. Based on the novel, Li Fantong was the ninth princess, the youngest one, moreover, born from a concubine mother.
She was the illegitimate daughter of the Emperor yet the favored one among the princesses ('just what did she do to become the favorite one?' Bai Shuyin grumbled). In order to keep her safe from the Empress and Noble consorts, Li Fantong was married off to the East Wang Kingdom as an Imperial Concubine of Wang Shenqiu.
'Not even a consort,' Bai Shuyin scoffed at that.
It would then symbolize their agreement between two kingdoms. It was like hitting two birds with one stone. Protecting his favorite daughter and gaining allies from the neighboring kingdom. How convenient.
And…
Everything was done clandestinely.
Why? To avoid the Empress and Noble Consorts eyes. So it made quite a bit of sense that they arranged this meeting in such a discreet area.
But it still bugged her why the emperor was so terrified of his own harem! Wasn't it normally the other way round?
Anyway, that aside, Bai Shuyin really wished to pull her hair in frustration, albeit her hands full of dishes, almost crashing into another servant as she stood in the middle of the hallway like an idiot.
The more she thought about it, the more reasons she had to give the little rice bucket a chance. The story was already out of line, maybe the female lead also had a slight change in character?!
Fine, fine. Okay, she should do that. She shouldn't make decisions for her sweetest little bun. One day, he would grow wings and soar in the sky. She really, really shouldn't hinder him. She was just a cannon fodder in this massive story, for god's sake!
Should she help Wang Heiyue build a harem too? She could help if she survived in the next four years.
Bai Shuyin sighed for the upteenth time and it wasn't even lunch yet. Why did he have to grow up so fast? She really wished he could stay in that baby form, trailing behind her like a cute little duckling, and stayed awe in everything she did for him.
"Excuse me, my food is taking too long!" Someone shouted from afar, snapping her out of her own world.
"Coming!" She quickly responded. Bai Shuyin quickly served the dishes to the customers and weaved between patrons, making her way towards the stairs. The main hall was in chaos, customers kept on pouring in and the tables were littered with unfinished dishes. They were in desperate need of more servants, unfortunately their Madam was such a cheapskate.
"Shuyin."
Speak of the devil.
"Yes, Madam He?"
Madam He had stood behind her and Bai Shuyin's posture stiffened in her dominating presence. It was like Madam He had ears all over the place and her sixth sense working hard. She always seemed to appear everytime the white-haired transmigrator thought badly of her.
Madam He looked down from the second floor towards the main hall with scrutiny and clicked her tongue, visibly displeased with the state of her tea house. With a flick of wrist, she slapped her fan open and hid her lower face with it, phoenix eyes stared straight at Bai Shuyin.
Almost rolling her eyes at Madam He's antics, Bai Shuyin was relieved she could stop herself from doing so. Something flashed in front of her eyes and Bai Shuyin snatched it out of reflex, hand catching a pouch thrown at her.
"Huh?" Looking dumb, she blinked at the pouch in hand, only to realize it was filled to the brim with golds.
"Get some new clothes, you will be the escort tomorrow."
"E-- escort?"
"Such shabby looking clothes," Madam He looked at her up and down with disgust in her eyes. "Making me lose my face." And was followed by, "I knew I shouldn't have hired little rats."
Bai Shuyin heard her say and could only gaped. How rude! Just when she thought Madam He was kind enough to defend her last time when she was sexually assaulted!
And, these were no rags and she bought it with her own hard work! Of course, the one with better quality was bought for her precious little bun. So, Bai Shuyin could only shallow her cries of grief when she looked at the robes Madam He was wearing.
How could she compare! That just showed how significant their status was.
"Guests from the Imperial Palace and envoys from the South Wu Kingdom will be here. So mind your manners and especially keep that brat of yours in check."